Coming from a lineage of theatre-makers (his father Ján Kákoš was playwright and theatre director, mother Dagmar Kákošová was an actress, and sister Jana Kákošová being a playwright and scriptwriter), Mr Kákoš completed his studies in stage directing under Tibor Rakovský at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava in 1977. He went on to join, as stage director, The Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra where he was to spend nearly a decade (1978 – 1987). From 1987 to 1990 he was stage director at the Poetic Company of the Theatre Nová scéna in Bratislava to stage, in première, the plays by Karol Horák Gospel According to Jonas (Záborský) (1987), The Road (1988) or Chingiz Aytmatov’s The Day Lasts More than a Hundred Years (1987). In the period of 1990 – 1991 he was artistic director at the Chamber Drama Company within the Theatre Nová scéna. After its closure, he became freelance director. As guest director he collaborated with a number of Slovak theatres (The Jozef Gregor Tajovský Theatre in Zvolen, The Jonáš Záborský Theatre in Prešov, State Theatre in Košice). His portfolio includes over fifty televised films, productions, documentaries and entertainment programmes (The Black Sheep, 1985; A Ballad About Dead Eyes, 1988; The Birthday of the Infanta, 1991; Witchunt, 1994; Herod and Herodias, 1996; Miraculous Love, 1996), whilst also contributing to many as script writer. Between 1996 and 2006 he was director of the Drama Programming Centre at the Slovak Radio. From 2007 to 2011 he was artistic director at the Bratislava-based Theatre Nová scéna. In the period of 2009 – 2010 he served as the Chairman of the Slovak Television Board and, since 2012 he is member of the Slovak Radio and Television Board. Mr Kákoš is author of a number of stage and radio adaptations and plays.
Martin Kákoš’s signature style:
As young director at The Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra Mr Kákoš launched his career with a series of productions of more recent Slovak and world drama (T. Williams, Ö. von Horváth, J. Solovič) and lesser known stage works (V. Kondratiev: Leave after Injury, 1982; Shudraka: The Little Clay Cart, 1983). He earned recognition for his productions of Hviezdoslav’s Herod and Herodias (1983), Shaltenis’ Shoo, Death, Shoo! (1983) and Aytmatov’s The Day Lasts More than a Hundred Years (1987). Together with the stage director Jozef Bednárik he was part of the golden era at The Andrej Bagar Theatre, particularly with productions of the works by A. Ostrovsky: Enough Stupidity in Every Wise Man, 1980 and Without a Dowry, 1986; Ö. von Horváth: Don Juan Comes Back from the War, 1982; F. L. Baum, D. Kárová: The Wizzard of Oz, 1981; J. Kákošová: Domov bezmenných, 1985).
In his productions he often accentuates rational motivation in human conduct in dramatic situations. His approach to text is always active and creative. From the outset he is particularly interested in drama containing sharp conflict that speaks of the most pressing issues of the day and presents generational statements about contemporary society. Even if not genre-specific, his productions oscillate between comedy and tragedy. Core part of his work lays in classical drama as well as poetic masters (leaning towards poetic realism) that are based on the power of metaphor and multiple meaning (I. Örkény: The Key-Seekers, 1984; A. Wagenstein: Stars in Her Hair, Tears in Her Eyes, 1986; V. Braun: The Great Peace, 1989). In recent years he has been directing original musicals, often also contributing as librettist (M. Kákoš, G. Dušík, M. Sarvaš: Francis of Assisi; M. Kákoš, G. Dušík, P. Uličný: Quo vadis; M. Kákoš, M. Brezáni, Ľ. Horňák: Mata Hari; P. Jaroš, M. Kákoš, K. Peteraj: The Millennial Bee or Ľ. Horňák, M. Kákoš, M. Brezáni: Madame de Pompadour).
A list of directorial works – productions:
1977 / Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava / Johann Friedrich Schiller: Marie Stuart
1978 / Theatre Nová scéna, Bratislava / Pablo Neruda: Splendour and Death of Joaquín Muriet
1978 / Regional Theatre Nitra / Tennessee Williams: Orpheus Descending
1978 / Regional Theatre Nitra / Ján Solovič: Watch Out for the Angels
1979 / Regional Theatre Nitra / Ben Jonson: Volpone
1980 / The Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra / Alexander Ostrovsky: Enough Stupidity in Every Wise Man
1981 / The Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra / Frank Lyman Baum, Darina Kárová: The Wizard of Oz
1982 / The Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra / Ödön von Horváth: Don Juan Comes Back from the War
1982 / The Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra / Shudraka: The Little Clay Cart
1982 / The Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra / Viacheslav Kondratiev: Leave after Injury
1983 / The Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra / Carlo Goldoni: The Opresario from Smyrna
1983 / The Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra / Pavol Országh Hviezdoslav: Herod and Herodias
1983 / The Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra / Saulius Shaltenis: Shoo, Death, Shoo!
1983 / Theatre for Children and Youth, Trnava / Carlo Gozzi: The Raven
1984 / The Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra / Percy Bysshe Shelley: The Cenci
1984 / The Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra / István Örkény: The Key-Seekers
1985 / The Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra / Jana Kákošová: The House of Nameless
1985 / The Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra / Karel Steigerwald: Foxtrot
1985 / The Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra / Yevgeniy Schvarts: The Naked King
1986 / The Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra / Alexander Ostrovsky: Without a Dowry
1986 / The Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra / Angel Wagenstein: Stars in Her Hair, Tears in Her Eyes
1987 / Theatre Nová scéna, Bratislava / Karol Horák: The Gospel According to Jonas (Záborský)
1987 / The Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra / Ion Druce: In the Name of the Earth and Sun
1987 / Theatre Nová scéna, Bratislava / Chngiz Aytmatov: The Day Lasts More than a Hundred Years
1988 / Theatre Nová scéna, Bratislava / Karol Horák: The Road
1989 / Theatre Nová scéna, Bratislava / Volker Braun: The Great Peace
1989 / Theatre Nová scéna, Bratislava / Jozef Mokoš, Martin Kákoš: Stolen Time
1990 / Theatre Nová scéna, Bratislava / Jean Anouilh: The Baker, the Baker’s Wife, and the Baker’s Boy
1991 / Chamber Drama Company, Theatre Nová scéna, Bratislava / Jiří Voskovec, Jan Werich: Helenka Likes It or a Straw Hat
1991 / Chamber Drama Company, Theatre Nová scéna, Bratislava / William M. Hoffman: As Is
1991 / State Theatre Košice / Marcel Achard: The Idiot
1992 / Puppet Theatre Žilina / Jozef Mokoš, Martin Kákoš: Stolen Time
1993 / The Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra / Alfred de Musset: Don’t Play with Love
1995 / The Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra / Jozef Cíger Hronský, Marek Maďarič, Martin Kákoš: Jozef Mak
1997 / The Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra / Ludvig Holberg: Jeppe on the Hill
1997 / The Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra / Mark Twain, Martin Kákoš, Ivan Vojtek st.: Tom Sawyer and the Others
1999 / Bratislava Puppet Theatre/ Václav Šúplata: An Inflatable Tale
2000 / State Theatre Košice / Yevgeniy Shvarts: Cinderella
2000 / The Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra / Jana Kákošová, Henrich Leško: Báthory
2002 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Ray Cooney: It Runs in the Family
2003 / The Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra / Alan Ayckbourn: Time of My Life
2004 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Éva Pataki: Edith and Marlene
2005 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Jana Kákošová, Henrich Leško: Báthory
2005 / The Jozef Gregor Tajovský Theatre in Zvolen / Molière: The Miser
2005 / State Theatre Košice / Thomas Walter Brandon: Charley’s Aunt
2006 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Bengt Ahlfors: The Last Cigar
2006 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Neil Simon: Odd Couple
2006 / The Jozef Gregor Tajovský Theatre in Zvolen / Aristophanes: Lysistrata
2007 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Nikolai Koliada: Chicken
2007 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Martin Kákoš, Gabo Dušík, Martin Sarvaš: Francis of Assisi
2008 / Theatre Nová scéna, Bratislava / Jiří Brdečka, Jan Rychlík, Vlastimil Hála: Lemonade Joe
2009 / Theatre Nová scéna, Bratislava / Martin Kákoš, Gabo Dušík, Martin Sarvaš: Francis of Assisi
2011 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Martin Kákoš, Gabo Dušík, Peter Uličný: Quo vadis
2012 / The Jozef Gregor Tajovský Theatre in Zvolen / Ray Cooney: It Runs in the Family
2013 / The Jozef Gregor Tajovský Theatre in Zvolen / Henrich Leško, Marek Maďarič: A Poète Maudit
2013 / Theatre Nová scéna, Bratislava / Martin Kákoš, Marián Brezáni, Ľubomír Horňák: Mata Hari
2013 / Theatre Nová scéna, Bratislava / Peter Jaroš, Martin Kákoš, Kamil Peteraj: The Millennial Bee
2014 / State Theatre Košice / Rudolf Shuster: Bocatius
2015 / The Jozef Gregor Tajovský Theatre in Zvolen / Antonín Procházka: Celebrity s. r. o.
2016 / Theatre Nová scéna, Bratislava / Ľubomír Horňák, Martin Kákoš, Marián Brezáni: Madame de Pompadour
2016 / The Jozef Gregor Tajovský Theatre in Zvolen / Brandon Thomas: Charley’s Aunt
2019 / The Jozef Gregor Tajovský Theatre in Zvolen / Alfred de Musset: Don’t Play with Love
Awards
2007 / Annual prize of the Slovak Literature Fund for theatre for directing the original Slovak musical Francis of Assisi
2009 / Annual prize of the Slovak Literature Fund for radio work
Videos from productions:
JEPPE ON THE HILL, 1997
archive of the Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra
The video can be found at the following link: www.youtu.be/02ZJSlsFHEU
THE HEN, 2007
archive of the Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov
The video can be found at the following link: www.youtu.be/2SigRPxXicg
THE MILLENNIAL BEE, 2013
archive of the Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra
The video can be found at the following link: www.youtu.be/gZaSeBQbFy8
